Silk Bedding and Sleepwear: What Momme Means

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Silk Bedding and Sleepwear: What Momme Means

Weight and quality, the hair and skin claims, and washing silk properly

Silk bedding is sold on comfort and on claims about hair and skin. One number tells you most about quality, and the claims are worth separating into the supported and the marketed.

Momme is the key figure

Momme measures the weight of silk, much as thread count does for cotton. Bedding typically runs from 19 to 25 momme.

Below about 19 is too light to wear well in bedding. Around 22 is the usual sweet spot, and 25 is heavier, more durable and considerably more expensive.

Look for mulberry silk with a stated grade, commonly 6A, which describes fibre length and uniformity.

The hair claim is the strongest

Silk has a smoother surface than cotton, which means less friction against hair. Reduced friction means less breakage and less frizz, and this is the most plausible of the claims made for it.

It also matters for anyone with fragile, curly or chemically treated hair, where friction damage is a genuine problem.

Skin and temperature

Silk absorbs less moisture than cotton, so it does not draw as much from the skin and does not hold as much sweat. It regulates temperature well, feeling cool in summer and warm in winter.

Claims that it prevents wrinkles are considerably weaker. Sleeping position causes creasing, and a smoother surface reduces it rather than eliminating it.

Washing it

Hand wash cool or use a delicate cycle in a mesh bag with a detergent made for silk. Never use biological detergent, which contains enzymes that digest protein fibres.

Do not wring. Roll in a towel and dry flat away from sunlight and radiators. Iron on the lowest setting on the reverse while slightly damp.

Silk clothing

The same momme logic applies — lighter silk is sheer and floats, heavier silk drapes with body and wears better. Check whether a garment is lined, since fine silk is frequently transparent.

Apply perfume and deodorant before dressing and let them dry, since alcohol marks silk permanently.

Cost per use

Silk bedding is expensive up front and lasts for years with proper washing. A pillowcase is the item most people find justifies itself; a full set is a considerably larger commitment to make all at once.

Washing frequency

Silk pillowcases need washing weekly like any other pillowcase, since they collect exactly the same oils and skin cells. Have two of them so one is always available while the other is in the wash.

What damages silk

Perfume, alcohol, chlorine, sunlight and pets' claws. A duvet cover is a large investment, so a pillowcase is a sensible way to try it first.

WHERE TO BUY

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